Among an otherwise long string of reports of rising credit card defaults, American Express continued to break the trend and significantly outperformed its competitors.

The credit score is one of the most important numbers in your life—for good and for bad. This little 3-digit number can open doors for you or slam them shut right in your face.

High interest debt will keep you in the poor house forever, so do everything you can to get rid of it. Paying a little more each month is one of the best ways to shrink your credit card debt.

If you have credit card debt racking up high interest charges, it’s important to be proactive and take steps early on to deal with the beast. Your best defense is a combination of getting your average interest rates reduced and shrinking that credit card debt as fast as you can.

The best way to increase your credit score is to consistently make your payments on time. This factor affects your credit score more than anything else and it is one of the most important criteria that lenders use in determining whether or not to offer you credit. Lowering your debt load by paying down your loans will also help increase your score.